MI in IPL 2026: For the Mumbai Indians, it was not about headlines that come with blockbuster bids at the IPL 2026 mini auction, and the five-time champions showed just why they are celebrated for smart planning and thinking long-term. MI were cool, calculated, and went about reinforcing their squad with poise, blending experience with promising young talent.
The biggest name on the Mumbai Indians' list was Quinton de Kock, for whom they used up a base price of Rs 1 crore. The southpaw wicketkeeper-batter comes with lots of international experience, explosive starts at the top, and offers reliability behind the stumps. His inclusion adds depth and flexibility to MI's batting line-up.
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Along with the experienced de Kock, MI looked hard to invest in homegrown talents. Mayank Rawat, Atharva Ankolekar, Mohammad Izhar, and Danish Malewar were all bought at their base prices of Rs 30 lakh each. Although not too many people might know these names now, Mumbai Indians have a pretty good record when it comes to uncapped players being groomed into future superstars.
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This low-profile strategy reflects the belief MI have in their scouting network and farm system. Instead of splurging on a couple of big players, this franchise bought youngsters who can be groomed over time and fit into their long-term vision.
Overall, the Mumbai Indians' approach at the IPL 2026 mini auction may have been quiet, but it was not ineffective. The balance between effective international quality and raw Indian talent made MI once again show that sometimes, the smartest moves are pulled with no noise.
Who Mumbai Indians retained ahead of IPL auction?
The 2025 champions, MI's retention list comprised high-profile names like of team's skipper Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Ryan Rickleton
Retained Players ahead of mini-auction: Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ryan Rickleton, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Raghu Sharma, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Naman Dhir, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Allah Ghafanzar, Ashwani Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford, Mayank Markande, Shardul Thakur
Mumbai Indians list of players for IPL 2026
Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Danish Malewar, Ashwani Kumar, Naman Dhir, Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Shardul Thakur, Sherfane Rutherford, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Hardik Pandya (C), Corbin Bosch, Mayank Rawat, Atharva Ankolekar, Deepak Chahar, Mayank Markande, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar, Raghu Sharma.
Also Read: (RR) Rajasthan Royals IPL Auction 2026 Full Players List: Base Price, Age, Country, IPL History